Archive for the ‘Horch 853’ tag

The trick to placing well at concours d’elegance events is standing out in the crowd, and in the world of European collector cars, few are as hard to ignore as the 1937 Horch 853 Voll & Ruhrbeck Sport Cabriolet owned by Robert M. Lee of Sparks, Nevada. On Sunday, his stunning silver convertible captured Best in Show Concours d’Elegance honors at Amelia Island, adding to a trophy case that also includes a Best of Show at Pebble Beach in 2009.

Though the Horch 853 is a German car, the flowing lines of its Voll & Ruhrbeck coach-built body give the car an almost French feel, and clearly date it within the art deco era. Long and low, with copious amounts of chrome and gleaming silver paint, the Horch also featured such innovations as an independent suspension, and an inline eight-cylinder engine that produced an estimated 120 horsepower. It’s said that the rear-mounted spare tires seen on the Horch inspired Henry Ford to develop a similar mount for the 1939 Lincoln Continental.

The early history of this example, chassis 853558, is largely unknown, as the Voll & Ruhrbeck factory was destroyed during World War II. The car surfaced in Switzerland after the war and eventually made it to the United States. Under the ownership of Dr. Herbert Boyer, the Horch was first displayed at Pebble Beach in 1988; following a restoration, the car was acquired by Lee in 1997, and it was once again displayed at Pebble Beach in 1999 as part of the Horch Anniversary Class. After conducting extensive (but often fruitless) research on the cabriolet’s history, Lee funded a thorough disassembly and piece-by-piece restoration that reportedly took five years to complete.

Winning Best in Show Concours de Sport at Amelia Island was a 1958 Scarab Mk II, painted in the Meister Brauser I livery first raced by Augie Pabst to a victory at the SCCA Milwaukee Regional in August of 1959. Chassis 003 (which wore various meatballs throughout its career, including the number 50 seen here) proved to be good luck for Pabst, carrying him to the United States Auto Club’s National Road Racing Championship in 1959. As if that wasn’t enough of an accomplishment for Pabst and the Scarab Mk II, the car also carried him to a national championship in the SCCA’s B-Modified class in the same year.

Only three road-racing Scarabs were ever built. The first was dubbed the Mk I, while the two that followed were both considered Mk II variants. Both Mk II Scarabs were right-hand drive, which put the driver on the inside of corners (aiding weight distribution) on tracks run clockwise. Both used space frame construction, and both were considerably wider than the original Mk I Scarab. Power for the Mk II’s came from a small-block Chevrolet V-8, while the Ford parts bin provided front spindles and brakes used in conjunction with custom-cast finned aluminum brake drums.

Owned by the Collier Collection in Naples, Florida, chassis 003 is also a frequent participant in vintage and historic motorsports events around the country. Recently restored, the car wears an identical livery to its 1960 Watkins Glen appearance.

While last year’s Windsor Castle Concours of Elegance was a singular occasion as part of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, its success in drawing 60 world-class automobiles ensured that it wouldn’t be the last concours of its kind in the United Kingdom. Thus the St. James Concours of Elegance at the Marlborough House will replace it this year, and the entrant list includes some stunning cars, including a dozen from the United States.

Also following last year’s precedent, the St. James’s Concours of Elegance, scheduled for September 5-7, will feature a special Preview Day on Thursday, and will be open to the public on Friday and Saturday. Concours display car owners will be encouraged to dress in fashion appropriate to their car’s era, and the entire event will offer the sophisticated elegance of a high society garden party.

The list of U.S.-owned participating cars, below, is correct at the time of publication and is subject to change. (Note: Images are participating cars; linked images are representations and do not necessarily reflect actual cars participating.)

Admission to the 2013 St. James’s Concours of Elegance is to advance ticket holders only; available tickets are limited, and public admission for Friday/Saturday costs £35 ($53) for entrance from 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., £25 ($38) for entrance from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., and £12.50 ($19) for children aged 5-16 years.